I am just topping this posting as I just come back from Amsterdam. I went there partly for business, partly for visiting.
Our hotel was situated in the city centre, in the Nieuwezijdsekolk. A 4*chain hotel, with a quality as a 4* hotel should be.
What I like about Amsterdam:
- the quite big area of the Singel, Herengracht, Keizersgracht, Prinsengracht where you have the image of a historic town with the brick houses, very coherent, pleasing to stroll due to the very pleasing aspect of the canals,
- the possibility to cycle all over town and to discover Amsterdam by yourself,
- the social housing developments in the eastern docklands, a must to discover for every architect, which I did on a rented bicycle.
What I don't like in Amsterdam:
- the shops and cafés around Nieuwendijk and Damrak; very low quality neighbourhood; second (third) class brands, junk food shops by the dozen, noisy cafés, the scruffy atmosphere as a whole, rundown and neglected. ( I am convinced there are more sophisticated spots in A'dam).

Due to the tight schedule, we didn't have the opportunity to see museums.

As a whole, and after some discussions with some locals, (I do speak the language) I can put forward the following points:
- the scale of the city is comparable to Brussels, both cities are a capital of a rather small european country (yes, Den Haag is the 'political' capital, I know), with its normal array of national museums and collections.
- the general presence of water (canals, port,...) offers a supplementary dimension to the streetscene as in other cities such as Venice, (although the character is very different).
- the 'pot'scene still attracts a lot of tourists, mostly younger people.
- the Red Light District attracks a lot of tourists, partly as a curiosity, partly for 'action', evidently :-).
- there is some 'coolness' about the way of living; the friendliness of the people, the simple way of personal transport by bicycle, or by foot, the terraces alongside the canals.
- on my remark that I noticed a lot of Englishmen, I was told that there are low-budget charters from saturday morning till sundaymorning from England. They come over for the night, drinking and 'actively' visiting the RLD.

So, Amsterdam has features that are well worth a visit, others that are not, but that ia a bit as in every city, no?